Virtual absence 25 years ago probably means total absence today.Young spotties sometimes confuse people because of their absence of spots.Show us, the unbelievers, a pic please, not somebody's cousin once heard of someone who might.....

Or go to Marie se Draai....

Whatever (according to BB): "You are correct but I don't want to admit it".

DuQues wrote:But as for kruger....Cybertracker has no data at all. There were reports from Woodlands section early 80’s, and more recently Mr. Rob Thomson spotted a brownie at Pafuri in September 2002. Which is quite recent, especially as it's nocturnal.

To the sceptics :I received independent confirmation of above a few minutes ago .

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.

The section ranger in question has confirmed with my informant (head of a department in scientific services in KNP) that it was on the road to Pafuri gate , no photo , but confirmed .

The report says a renowned predator researcher in the scientific staff at Sanparks knows of 6 confirmed sightings over a number of years (up to the time of the above mentioned sighting)

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.

I was watching it 'LIVE' on my PC at home in the UK via http://www.wildearth.tv and there's absolutely no doubt that it is indeed a brown hyena on 1st May 2009. Pieter Pretorius was the Driver/Guide with Rexon Ntimane on the camera.

I have permission from the section ranger (the person who wrote the email , who was lucky to see it from 30 m on a tar road - and has witnesses) and the moderators , am awaiting permission via the writer from higher authority in KNP scientific services .

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.

I cant yet copy & paste this from the pc , so I will quote word for word , except where there are dots where I did not quote a part that would not add to the discussion , and the bold script where I added a comment .:

My parents and I had the most excellent sighting on Sunday night at 19h00 , while we were returning from Lanner Gorge from the west via Pafuri gate . Approximately 5 km east of the Pafuri gate running towards us was the the most magnificent specimen of a large Brown Hyena . Due to its size I assume it could be a female . It was in excellent condition , I could not find a scratch on its face from 30m . It ran in the road for around 30 sec , before it turned and vanished into the bush , its long hair flowing in the wind as it ran away from us .

This is onlysecond wild Brown Hyena I have seen , the first being at Venetia Limpopo reserve . Wilbert Von Voort said he thought he saw one two years ago in the Nyalaland trails area , and Dr Gus (I assume referring to Dr G Mills) reckons there have only been six other sightings(records) in his time in the park (...)

Could they be moving in and out the area , due to positive change in water policy(Pienaar/Mills)? An opinion which I beleive is valid , especially in the long term . (I would assume this would apply to the whole KNP ?)

The spotted "brother" does occur in the area but their numbers are not high , however they are the dominant predator in the Pafuri , while the lion population is minimal .

.......

Hope you find this e-mail of interest .

Anyway it was a priviledge to see this rare species in Kruger .....

Greetings

R. Thomson

Unfortunately no photographic evidence , but this is not hearsay !

KNP is sacred.I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.